Shot gun shell reconditioning press assemblages



Sept. 24",.1 957 SHQT cum Filed Nov. 22, mm

E" MIN J. E. VEUM 2,807,186

SHELL RECONDITIONINGH PRESS ASSEMBLAGES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 e INVENTOR. jg yea/m,

-BY W owermwmfl HTTORNEPIS.

Patented Sept. 24, 1957 United States Patent" ()fitice SHOT GUN SHELL RECGNDITIONING PRESS ASSEMBLAGES John E. Vcum, Milwaukee; Wis. Application November 22, 1954,Serial=N0. 470,224

2 Claims. ((31. 86-23),

Thisinventi'on relates to'improvements in shot gun shell reconditioning pressassemblages.

Shot gun shells'are-relatively expensive, but due to the problems: which are peculiar'to the loading and recondi-. running of shotgun shells no commercially satisfactory method or apparatus has heretofore been developed for completely reloading and reconditioning spent shot gun shellcases.

To completely reload and: recondition a spent and salvaged shot" gun shell case it. is necessary to perform a number of operations including ejecting the spent primer and replacing it by a new primer, sizing. the brass base of the shell case inserting predetermined related quantities of. powder, filler, and shotwithinthe: shell case, and separated by wads, seating and ramming. the several.

wads; and finally crimping the end' of the shell case opposite the brass base to close and finish the same and simultaneously. truingor sizing the entire case.

In my prior Patent No.. 2,655,831, issued October 30,. 1953, I" have disclosed" ashot. gun shell loading. apparatus A which will introducethe correctly related quantities of seat and ram the over-powder and over-filler wads and to crimp and finish the outer end of the shell' case.

A further. object of the invention is to provide a simple.

manually operated press susceptible of receiving various. attachments for the purpose of performingthe aboveenumerated operations in connection with. the reconditiming of a shot gun shell. t

A. further object of' the invention is to. provide a. shot gun shell reconditioning press which includes ahollow ram-with a knock-out rod associated therewith;each be.- ing reciprocal-table relative-to the other for certain opera. tions on a shotgun shell, together with means for lock: ing'the ram androdltogether for release upon attainment. of a predetermined pressure. during operation. on a shell case.

A further object of the invention isto. provide a shot gun shell reconditioning press assemblage which .is relatively simple, which is easy to operate, and which can recondition spent shot gunshells so satisfactorily that they are as efiicient' and effective in usage as new shot gun shells, suchreconditioning, however, being accomplished at'a fractionof the cost of a new shot gun shell.

A further object of" the invention is to provide a shot gun' shell rec'onditioning press assemblage which iscompact: and portable,-which" is strong and durable, which is expeditious. andr efiicient in its operation, and which is well adaptedfor thepurposesmdescribed.

With the above'and other objects in view, the, invention consists of the improved shot gun shell reconditioning press assemblage, and its parts and combinations as set forth inthe-claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same ref erence characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional viewof the base portion of the press equipped with a shell primer ejector;

Fig. 2 is a side view, with parts being broken away and in section, of the press equipped with a shell recapping base appliance and a shell base sizing tube,.showing the relative position of the operative parts immediately prior to the recappingand sizing operation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the upper portion of the press showing the relative location of the parts after the upward retraction ofthe' ram and priming die and partial ejectionof the shell case from the priming die;

Fig. 4 is a side view, with partsbeing broken away and in section, ofthe press fitted with a die and wad rammer such as is used in. setting the over-powderand over-filler wads in position within the shell case;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the press equipped with the shell end crimping die. showing the latter in one position of operation relative to the reloaded shell case;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View of that portion of thepress which carries the shell end crimping die showing the latter in the position in which it performs the final flat crimping operation on the exposed end of the shell case; and" Fig. 7 is an enlargedLvertical sectional View of a completely reconditioned shot? gun shell case following all of the operations thereon by the improved press assemblage.

As was mentioned heretofore the object of the press assemblage, the subject matter of. the present invention, is to perform certain operations in the reconditioning of a reloaded shot gun shell. In Figs. 1 and 2 the shot gun shell case is one which has been salvaged and. is to be refilled and reconditioned through the use of the device of my prior Patent No.. 2,655,831 or with conventional filler wads in conjunction with the present press assemblage, it being noted thatprior to reconditioning, the salvaged shot gun shell case 100 is: empty, open at its outer end and contains in its brass base a. spent primer. Afterthe various operations have "been completed the reconditioned shot gun shell 100 will be in the form illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the spent primer has been ejected and replaced by a new primer 110. Within the cylindrical paper shell or case extending upwardly from the brass base is. a measured quantity of powder over which there is a powder wad 1'40. followed by a measured quantity of a granular filler over which there is a filler wad 1611, followed by a measured charge of shot 170. In the alternative the press may operate on shell cases having conventional filler wads. The manner.

' in which the quantities of powder, filler, and shot are measured for a given shot gun shell case is completely disclosed in my prior patent No. 2,655,831. Additionally, the. reconditioning of the shell. 1'69 includes a sizing or truing of the brass base 128, truing of the paper case and preliminary and final crimping operations to' provide the folded over inwardly recessed outer end portions which finally close the shot gun shell case and render it suitable for reusage.

As will best appear from Figs; 2, 4 and 5, the shot gun shell: reconditioning press includes a relatively heavy metallic one-piece pedestal 1 0'- having a horizontal fiat base portion 11 a post portion 1-2 extending upwardly therefrom and a-top= horizontal extensi'on 1 3 which termimates in' a bored. verticallydirected cylindrical bearing cylinder portion 14. Thebase portion 1 1 generally of rectangular shape, is formed near its corner portions with apertures 15 forthe reception of screws, bolts or other means for anchoring the base of the press to a flat support or table.- The top surface of the base ll forwardly ofthe post 12 is formed with a transversely ex;

tending raised fiat supporting surface 16 formed with a central socket 17. There is also formed in the base extending from the front edgev rearwardlyand in registration with the soc ket 17 a horizontal bore 18 for thereception of an appliance locking pin 19 (see Fig. 1).

Formed integrally with the upper horizontal extension portion 13 of the post and the inner portion of the bearing cylinder 14 is a horizontally disposed transverse cylindrical bearing portion 20 which has an internal opening in registration with the vertical bore in the bearing cylinder 14 and which revolubly receives a horizontal shaft 21 having fast thereon within the portion 20, a rack gear 22. An outer end portion of the shaft 21' has fast thereon a sleeve 23 and for the purpose of manually turning said sleeve and shaft 21, an operating handle 24 is extended through registering openings therefor infthe sleeve and shaft.

A pair of vertical stop plate rods 25 have their lower end portions anchored in the upper portion of the bearing cylinder 14 on opposite sidesof the bore therethrough, and the upper end portions of said rods 25 are threaded and adjustably support a top horizontal stop plate 26 which is held in position by nuts .27. The mid-portion of said stop plate is apertured to permit the reciprocation therethrough of a vertical knock-out rod 28. Spaced from the top of said knockout rod is a locking groove 29 and except when in locked position, as will hereinafter be explained, the major portion of the knockout rod 28, from below the groove 29, is enclosed by a hollow ram 30 which extends through the bore in the vertical bearing cylinder 14 and which is formed with rack teeth 31 engaged by the teeth of the rack gear 22, whereby the hollow ram 30 may be reciprocated when the handle 24 is turned in either direction. There is a frictional engagement as between the knockout rod 28 and the hollow ram 30 so that the two may move together or independently, depending upon the pressures imposed thereon, and as previously explained,

by means of the locking'groove 29 in the knockout rod 28 and a spring-urged ballbearing 32, the knockout rod 28 and hollow ram 30 may be locked together for release upon the attainment of a predetermined pressure. The locking ballbearing 32 is housed within the inner end of a tube33 secured within an opening in the ram 30, and by adjusting a screw 34 the force of a confined coiled spring 35 may be varied whereby the ball'bearing 32 can be released'from the knockout rod slot 29 upon'the attainment of a predetermined pressure imposed on the secured together ram and knockout rod assemblage.

Adjustably mounted on a portion of the knockout rod 28 above the upper end of the ram 30 is a collar 36 which, for

difierent operations, is loosely fitted on the top of the ram as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or which, by means of a transverse set screw 37, may be secured to an upper portion of the knockout rod, as in Fig. 2, to forma stop by contact with the under portion of the horizontal stop plate 26 to limit upward reciprocation of the rod, as in Fig. 3.

The lower extremity of the hollow ram 30 is externally threaded as at 38 to receive an appliance attaching collar 39, and, as is best shown in Fig. 5, the lower end portion of the hollowiram 30 is formed with an enlarged socket 40 for receiving portions of other appliances.

From the foregoing the construction of the shotgun the spent or fired primer 110' and to true the internal cylindrical cavity in the shot gun shell case.

To permit this operation, the ram and knockout rod' assemblage 3028 of the press is preferably raised to an out of the way position and a primer ejector, designated generally by the numeral 41, is utilized, if desired, in the mannershown in Fig. 1. Said primer ejector 41 includes a shank portion 42 and a threaded lower or inner extremity on-which a cylinder 43 may be removably mounted, said cylinder 43 conforming to the diameter of the socket 17 within the fiat supporting surface 16 of the in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and is manually moved. downwardly inwardly relative thereto, the outer end portion of the shank 42 will enter the spent primer 110' V and upon further downward or inward movement of the. case 100, the spent primer 110' will be ejected outwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the cylindrical portion 45 will true the interior of the case 100. When the case is removed from the appliance 41 it will be devoid of the spent primer. Although the appliance 41 may be used in the manner shown'in Fig. 1, itis also insertible in the horizontal bore 18 of the base to project forwardly horizontally and in this event the socket engaging cylinder 43 is removed from the inner end of the shank 41.

The operating end portion of the appliance 41 will then project forwardly of the front end of the base and the spent shell case 100 can be slipped onto" the appliance.

manually and pushed inwardly toeject the'spent primer.

The second step is to recap the case with a new primer tegral with an axially disposed stem 48 whose lower end portion is seated in the socket 17 of the base portion 16 of the press with the base disc thenseating firmly on the top surface of the press portion 16. A coiled spring 49 surrounds a portion of the stem 48 above the disc 47 and the upper end portion of the stem 48 enters the axial. bore 51 of a cylindrical plug 50 in whose under portion. there is a socket 52'into which the upper end of the'spring' 49 extends whereby the plug is normally yieldingly supported spacedly above the top of the disc.47, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper or outer end portion'of the bore 51 of the plug 50 is of a size to receive therein a new primer 110. The shot gun shell case from which ing collar 55 is threaded onto the lower end portion of the knockout rod 28. i

For the recapping operation, the knockout rod.28 isv not cocked to the hollow ram 30 and the collar 36 is secured to the upper end portion of the knockout rod 28- by means of the set screw 37, as shown in Fig. 2. Initially, through movements of the handle 24, and the action.

of the rack gear 22 and rack teeth 31 on the ram, the

ram and knockout rod are raised. Then, upon a reversemovement of the handle 24 therassembla'ge is lowered j to, permit the cylindrical die' 53 .to enclose-and envelop the shell case 100. Upon further movementof the handle 24 the lower bevelled internal portion 56 of the die 53 will engage and size the brass base 120 of the case 100 and additional pressure will cause depression of the plug 50 against the force of the spring 49 until it contacts the top surface of the disc 47 during which movement the upper end of the stem 48 will push the new primer 110 into proper position within the brass base of the case 100. Thereafter, a reverse movement is imparted to the operating handle 24 of the press to raise the ram and knockout rod assemblage, also raising with it the reprimed and resized case 100. Upward movement of the ram and knockout rod assemblage is ultimately limited by contact of the collar 36 with the undersurface of the stop plate 26, as shown in Fig. 3. Thereupon, further turning of the handle 24 in the same direction will cause relative downward projection of the knockout rod 28 relative to the ram 30, die 53, and enclosed case 190 until the condition shown in Fig. 3 attains, following which further lowering of the knockout rod will cause, through pressure imposed by the collared lower end portion of the knockout rod, ejection of the reprimed and resized case 100 from the die 53. The collar 55 on the lower end of the knockout rod prevents the replaced new primer from being pushed through the case.

With the several steps depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 having been completed, the reprimed and resized shot gun shell case may now have introduced thereinto a predetermined quantity of powder 130 over which a powder wad 140 is to be placed. For correctly seating the overpowder wad 14-0, the press and shell case 100 are arranged in the manner disclosed in Fig. 4 wherein the spring 49 is removed from the stem 48 of the base disc 47 and the plug 50 is seated directly on the top face of the base disc 47 supporting the shot gun shell case 160 in which there is the measured powder charge 130 over which there has been placed the over powder wad 140. An internally threaded coupling collar 55 on the lower end portion of the knockout rod 28 engages the the threaded upper end portion of the cylindrical shank of a wad rammer 57 having an enlarged disc-like lower extremity 58 of a circumference to snugly fit within the case 100 and to contact the top of the wad 140'. When the knock-out rod 28 is cooked to the ram 30, as hereinafter described, the collar 36 seats on the upper end of the ram 30 and is secured to the rod 28 by the set screw 37. While it is desirable to pack and compress the measured quantity of powder 130 within the case 100 by pressure applied to the over-powder wad 146, the maximum pressure to be applied is {predetermined and is dependent upon the powder in use. For this operation the knockout rod 28 is releasably locked to the ram 30 by means of the spring urged ballbearing 42 seating in the knock-out rod groove 29, as in Fig. 4, and the force necessary to permit disengagement of the ballbearing from the groove and consequent release of the knockout rod from the ram is regulated by the adjustment screw 34.

Consequently, the device is thus pre-set for a predetermined maximum pressure and with the knockout rod 28 and ram 30 locked together, when the handle 34 is turned in the proper direction, the disc extremity 58 of the wad rammer contacts the wad 140. Upon further downward movement of the assemblage, pressure will be applied against the wad and powder to compact the same until the predetermined pressure has been attained whereupon further force applied to the handle 24 will cause a release as between the ballbearing 32 and the rod groove 29 thereby separating the knockout rod 28 and ram and preventing the wad rammer 57 from exerting further pressure on the wad 140.

When this condition is attained, the handle 24 of the press should be turned in a reverse direction to raise the ram 30 and wad rammer 57 free of the shotgun shell case 1%. Ultimately the collar 36 will engage the stop plate 26 which will limit further upward move- 6 ment of the knockout rod 28 and permit relative movement of the ram 30 until the rod groove 29 registers with the ball bearing 32 which snaps into said groove and re-locks the rod and ram for a subsequent wad ramming operation.

The next step is to deposit into the case a predetermined measured quantity of a granular filler 150, which can be accomplished by the apparatus of my prior Patent No.- 2,655,831. Within the shell case and over the filler is placed a filler wad 160 and the shell is then replaced on the plug 50 of the press and the previous step is repeated with the knockout rod 28 and ram 30 being cocked together for release after the attainment of a predetermined pressure imposed on the wad rammer against the filler wad 160. When the filler wad has been rammed home and the filler compacted under the predetermined maximum pressure, the press handle is operated to raise the assemblage and expose the case 106 which is next loaded with a predetermined measured quantity of shot 170 which may also be performed by the apparatus of prior Patent No. 2,655,831. The reloaded shot gun shell case is then ready for the final end crimping operation which is accomplished on the press with the appliances illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. At this point it may be stated that some of the reconditioning operations described and specifically the wad ramming operations can be performed on a shot gun shell case loaded with conventional filler wads.

To prepare the press for final crimping operations, all attachments are removed from the lower end of the knockout rod 28 andthe collar 36 is permitted to seat freely on the upper end of the hollow ram 30 unsecured relative to the knockout rod 28. The previous appliances are removed from the base portion 16 and are replaced by a shell holder 59 having an integral axially depending pin which enters the socket 17 of the base portion.

The locking pin 19 is inserted through the base bore 18' and through a registering transverse opening in the lower stem portion of the shell holder to position the shell holder with the opening 60 in its collar 61 oblique to the longitudinal axis of the base 11 whereby the brass base of the shell case may he slid into the collar opening 60 at an angle, with the lower flange of the base engaging in a groove 62 in said shell holder, preventing upward withdrawal of the case. .The shell case crimper is designated generally by the numeral 63 and the same includes a lower cylindrical element 64 and an upper cylindrical element 65 reciprocatably joined to the element 64 by a stem 66. The top portion of the cylindrical element 65 is flanged outwardly as at 67 to engage the lower end portion of the ram 30 when the shell crimper 63 is operatively carried by the ram and to also form a shoulder for releasably engaging the upper end portion of a band spring 68 in the manner shown in Fig. 5 to temporarily maintain separation as between the crimper elements 64 and 65, the lower end portion of the band spring being affixed to the crimper element 64.

The bore through the ram 30 has the enlargement 40 at its lower end previously mentioned and for the attachment of the shell crimper to the ram an integral cylindrical boss 69 projecting upwardly from the flanged portion 67 is received within said bore enlargement 40. Retention of the crimper in the attached position is accomplished by tightening a set screw 70 which is threaded through the lower end of the ram to cause it to impinge against the boss 69.

The internal construction of the crimper element 64 is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and it will be noted that from the lower end of the element 64 upwardly there is an enlarged socket 71 of a diameter to receive the shot gun shell case and of slightly less length than the length of the shot gun shell case before its outer end is crimped. The upper end portion of the enlarged socket 71 is tapered inwardly, as at 72, on an angle of approximatelyASL and above the tapered portion 72 is a bore 173 of a diameter to receive the headed lower extremity by the crimper 63 secured to the lower end portion of the ram is to close and crimp the open upper or outer end of the shell case 100 to produce the condition shown in Fig. .7. The reloaded shell case, which has undergone all of the operations previously described, is engaged in the shell holder59 on the base of the press in the manner shown in Fig. 5, with the rarnand rod in raised or retracted position and with the crimper attached to the ram.

In the initial crimping operation the free end of the band spring 68 is engaged under the shouldered flange 67 of the element 65 in the manner shown in Fig. to effect and'retain relative projection or separation of the crimper element 65 and the crimper element 64, the spring being held in this engaging position by the finger pressure thereagainst. Then the press handle 24 is turned 7 in a direction to cause the ram and knockout rod, as-

semblage to lower with the lower end of the knockout rod 28 contacting the upper end of the crimper boss 69.

'jTurningmovement of the handle and lowering of the ram assemblage will lower the crimper element 64 to cause it to envelop the mounted shell case 100 and the lowering movement is continued'until the crimper element 64 contacts the shell holder 59 at which time the 1 upper peripheral portion of the shell case is bent inwardly at a 45 angle by contact with the tapered internal portion 72 of the element 64. a

- Next, by releasing the free end of the spring 68 from thetflange 67 .upon further lowering movement of the ram, the crimper element 65 can move toward the element 64 until the position of Fig. 6 is attained during which movement the crimping plunger, including the stem 66 and headed portion 74, presses downwardly against the initially crimped upper end of the shell and folds it firmly flatly downwardly as in Fig. 7 to ultimately provide a closed recessed and, finished outer end for the on a used and salvaged shot gun s hel l in an extremely simple a1:rd; efiicientmanner involving a minimum of etfortandexpense.

The press and the appliances attachable thereto func tion without undue skill on the part .ofthe oper ato'r and if the reconditioning, appliances are utilized'in the proper mannerand sequence, the assemblage .is substantially foolproof and produces reconditioned shot gun shells suitabletor use by the most discriminating 'sportsmem f Various changes and modifications m'ayibe made without-departing from the spirit of thetinvention, 'and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the appended claims.- What is] claimed as the invention is: r v

l. A'sh'ot gun shell reconditioning press, vcomprising a pedestal having a flat base vportion, a hollow ram vertically reciprocatably carried:by an upper portion of said pedestalgmeans for supporting a shell onrsaid fiat base portion, ashell'conditioning appliance carried by an end portion of the ram to operate .on external portions of a supported shellrupon reciprocations of the ram, a rod telescopically associated with the ram, positive means to cause movement ot the rod with or independently of the ram, said rod being of greater length than the ram and operable on internalportionsof a supported shell,

an apertured stoppl'ate supported above the pedestal and through-theaperture of which the outer end of said rod may movably extend and a stop collar of greater size than theaperture in the stop plate positionable on the outerend oftheram or on a selected outer end portion of the rod for contact with the stop plateupon upward reciprocations of the ram to limitone directional movement'of'either'theram or therod. Y

2. .,In combination, a pedestal having a fiat base portion,a shellcase holder removably mountedon said base portion, a hollow ram vertically reciprocatab'ly car riedby an upper portion of said pedestal, a shell condi tioning appliance removablytcarried by a lower portion of the ram, a rod telescopically associated with the ram, means releasablerupon the attainment of a predeterrnined pressure reacting against the ram for latching the rod to the ram for certain operations, a fixed stop carried by the pedestal above the ram and formed with an aperture thereinthroughwhich saidrod may movably extend, and a cooperatingrstop member selectively attachable to the rod for engagement with said fixed'stop member to. limit upward movement of the rod;v a

References Cited inrthe file of this patent v p UNITED STATES PATENTS V 371,110 'Comingsf Nov. 19, 1907-, 1,463,603' Talcott July 371, 1923 

